Antonio James is a former University of Illinois standout (2006–09) defensive lineman who returned to his alma mater in March 2025 as the Assistant Defensive Line Coach under Bret Bielema. After launching his coaching career at Urbana High School and working as a graduate assistant at Michigan (2014–16), he spent six seasons at Morgan State (2016–21), eventually serving as defensive coordinator and co-special-teams coordinator, where his units ranked highly in sacks and red-zone defense. In 2022, James became the defensive line coach at Southern Illinois and was promoted to Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator in 2023, leading one of the top FCS defenses. Recognized as an AFCA “30 Under 30” honoree, James is known for his strong leadership and defensive expertise, now contributing to the Fighting Illini’s coaching staff.
